An accused global drug kingpin has been escorted from a Melbourne court to jail in an armoured police vehicle after being extradited from Europe to face justice.

Almost two years after he was arrested in the Netherlands, Canadian national Tse Chi Lop arrived on a flight into Melbourne Airport on Thursday, surrounded by federal police officers.

The 59-year-old, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a dark shirt, did not apply for bail as he faced Melbourne Magistrates Court just after 10.30am.

Tse has been charged with conspiring with three other people to traffic a commercial quantity of drugs into Melbourne and elsewhere between March 15, 2012 and March 20, 2013, according to court documents.

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He initially appeared by video link from cells underneath the building, but was later brought into the court dock flanked by two custody officers.

Tse waved to his lawyer and a male supporter seated at the front of the court, before he sat down. The court hearing was translated to him via a Cantonese interpreter.

The Australian Federal Police will allege Tse conspired to traffic 20 kilograms of  methamphetamine, which had a street value of up to $4.4 million and was split up into separate quantities.

He was charged in October 2019, following a decade-long investigation into transnational organised crime syndicate Sam Gor, also known as The Company.

Tse was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on January 22 last year by Dutch officers after the AFP requested an INTERPOL red notice for his provisional arrest.

His barrister Paul Smallwood requested his client be seen by a nurse to receive medication for high blood pressure while in custody.

“There will be no application for bail,” he told the court on Thursday.

Mr Smallwood said he expected the defence to be served a “wealth of information” on the case by the AFP, with the brief of evidence ordered to be handed over by January 11.

Magistrate Martin Grinberg remanded Tse in custody to face a committal mention on February 16 with another man, 66, who is alleged to be his co-accused.

Victoria Police escorted Tse to jail using its Bearcat armoured vehicle, about 1pm on Thursday.

Outside court, AFP Assistant Commissioner Krissy Barrett described Tse’s arrest as “extremely significant” not only for the force but for the Australian community.

“It would be one of the most significant arrests in the history of the (force),” she told reporters.

-AAP